Çırağan Palace Kempinski Istanbul is the only imperial palace hotel which has left its mark on history, located on the shores of the magical Bosphorus it offers the ultimate in luxury amid the brilliance and glamour of a genuine Ottoman palace.

Instead, proud Çırağan Palace has risen again in all its glory. Lovingly restored for the Kempinski Hotel group, the Palace hotel has given a new meaning to the world "luxury". The unique atmosphere of Çırağan Palace Hotel Kempinski Istanbul comes from its subtle blend of the ancient and modern. First the original front of the Sultan's palace, which stretches for more than 400 metres along its own private coastline, was restored to its own previous grandeur; this task called for a small army of highly-skilled artisans.

A number of stones and other original fragments from the palace were found still lying where they fell in the palace gardens. These served as models for the master stone masons engaged to recreate the front. Like their ancestors a hundred years ago, these craftsmen worked the intricate stone latticework and marble colonnades by hand. The whole construction process, which took six years, was overseen by the Turkish curator of Historic Monuments, who insisted that the same materials be used as for the original construction.

When the outer walls were restored to their former state, work started on transforming the ancient building into one of the world's leading luxury hotels

Çırağan Palace Istanbul

The palace, built by Sultan Abdülâziz, was designed by the famous Armenian palace architect Nigoğayos Balyan and constructed by his sons Sarkis and Hagop Balyan between 1863 and 1867. This was a period in which all Ottoman sultans used to build their own palaces rather than using those of their ancestors. Çırağan Palace is the last example of this period. The inner walls and the roof were made of wood, the outer walls of colorful marble. The palace is connected with a beautiful marble bridge to the Yıldız Palace on the hill behind. A very high garden wall protects the palace from the outer world.

The construction and the interior decoration of the palace continued until 1872. After he moved in, Sultan Abdülâziz was, however, not able to live long in his magnificent palace. He was found dead in the palace on May 30, 1876, shortly after he was dethroned. His successor, his nephew Sultan Murad V, moved into Çırağan Palace, but reigned after only 93 days. He, who was deposed by his brother Abdülhamid II due to alleged mental illness, lived here under house arrest until his death on August 29, 1904.

During the Second Constitutional Monarchy, Sultan Mehmet V Reşat allowed the parliament to hold their meetings in this building. Only two months after, on January 19, 1910, a great fire destroyed the palace, leaving only the outer walls intact. Called "Şeref Stadı", the place served for many years as a football stadium for the club Beşiktaş J.K..

In 1989, the ruined palace was bought by a Japanese corporation, which restored the palace and added a modern hotel complex next to it in its garden. Today, it serves as luxury suites for the five star Kempinski hotel along with two restaurants that cater to guests.

The restoration of the Palace was considered a travesty by many, who criticized the government for allowing an independent company to restore a Turkish landmark at minimal cost and with absolutely no regard for the historical or architectural history of the building. The interior of the building was a very bright neon pink and contained several stores and areas for events such as banquets, many have criticized it for resembling the interior of an American shopping mall. The German Artist Rainer Maria Latzke redecorated the interior with a bright and colorful Mediterranean ambiance by equipping the interior swimming pool with beautiful murals.

The Palace was renovated again during the first quarter of 2007, now resembling the authentic palace with the baroqe style and soft colors.

Çırağan Palace Kempinski Istanbul is situated on the shores of the Bosphorus in a very convenient location between the districts of Besiktas and Ortakoy, a 45-minute drive from the airport. Within close walking distance of the Hotel is the harbor-side district of Ortakoy, a fascinating area full of seafood restaurants, specialty antique, ceramic and jewelery shops.